Senior Lifeguard Casey Jean "C.J." Parker is a character in Baywatch.
Gorgeous with a radiant smile, a bubbly personality, bravery, and determination, C.J. was a dedicated, skilled, and very popular lifeguard, as well as one of the most experienced members of the Baywatch team.
Physical Appearance[]
C.J. was a beautiful, athletic young woman with long blonde hair (often styled from straight to curled or tied up) and blue eyes. She was extremely attractive and a real head-turner.
Her looks were both a blessing and a curse, sometimes helping her perform her duties, while at other times making it harder (Lifeguards Can't Jump), (Skyrider), (Freefall), (Lost And Found).
Despite having an curvaceous figure with an ample bust, C.J. had a firm, athletic body and occasionally displayed distinctively defined muscles. The muscle definition gave way in later seasons making her body a bit more softer.
Her height was 170 cm (5'7") and her weight ranged from 57-61 kg (125 to 135 lbs).
Personality[]
As one of the main head lifeguards of the Baywatch Los Angeles County, C.J. was loyal, hard-working and dove right in when the situation demanded it. She was good friends with Mitch Buchannon (whom she saw as a father figure), her two best friends were the Holden sisters Stephanie and Caroline and she was widely popular with the rest of the team.
However she has shown her dislike for a couple of members: Neely Capshaw because of her scheming and conniving attitude and Logan Fowler for his selfishness, recklessness and rash methods on the team.
She never hesitated to help someone in need whether it was people or animals which is the main reason why she was a lifeguard.
C.J. was credulous, easily believing in the existence of mythical creatures such as mermaids, ghosts and elves. She was also a romantic and easily fell in love, but had trouble keeping a meaningful relationship, resulting in either humiliation or many of them ending very quickly.
Skills and Abilities[]
C.J. loved athletics and outdoor life. Her skills reflected this – in addition to being a superb swimmer and diver, C.J.'s skills included, kayaking, rock climbing and rappelling, athletics, hang gliding, scuba diving, running, kick-boxing, various other outdoor skills and even playing the saxophone. To stay in shape her daily routine included strength training in the HQ's gym and for aerobic exercises she did running, swimming, boxing, and kick boxing. Yoga was also part of her workouts. Without doubt C.J. was one of the fittest lifeguards and the fittest female lifeguard on Baywatch.
Despite her young age, C.J. was already a veteran lifeguard and the most experienced female lifeguard from her first episode appearance in Season 3. Her natural athleticism, versatility and wide skill set made C.J. one of the best if not the best lifeguard on Baywatch.
In her free time, C.J. had a part-time job as the volleyball coach at Malibu High (Showdown at Malibu Beach High).
Before re-joining Baywatch C.J. worked as a Class V Whitewater rafting guide (River of No Return, Part I).
Like all Baywatch lifeguards C.J. was expected to be able to handle all the land and water vehicles at their disposal, including the Baywatch trucks, the quad bikes, the Scarab boats and the jet skis.
C.J. was also highly skilled at Lifeguard Rescue Skills, that is, she was able to assess the victim’s condition, perform an appropriate rescue, move the victim to safety be it by swimming, jet ski or boat and provide additional care like first aid or CPR as needed. She was also an able leader and trainer in the aforementioned skills.
Early Life[]
C.J. was born in Las Vegas and raised along with her younger brother by her father and mother entertainer Shelley Sands. Mr. Parker worked in a hotel and was a gambler who always spend their hard earned cash on becoming more rich. C.J. eventually went to Los Angeles where she met Mitch and became a lifeguard on Baywatch, but left some years later and became a river guide.
It was revealed in the past, that she had previously suffered from bulimia (Skyrider) and had a gambling problem due to being in the home of the most gambling establishments in the world, which fellow lifeguard Matt Brody found out during a cruise (Vacation, Parts I and II), but eventually he helped her overcome it for good.
Baywatch[]
Season 3[]
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C.J. patrolling the beaches (Lifeguards Can't Jump)
After meeting Mitch, his son Hobie and fellow lifeguards Eddie and Shauni (who eventually got married and left for Australia) on a river rafting trip, she was asked to come back to Baywatch. C.J. agreed and passed the rookie test and re-joined the team along with Matt Brody and Summer Quinn . She rented an apartment that was also owned by another lifeguard named Stephanie who didn't like the way she treated their home, but they eventually overcame their differences and became good friends.
C.J. also formed a relationship with fellow lifeguard John D. Cort, but he eventually left the team, leaving her heartbroken.
Many things happened during her first year back at Baywatch these included being deceived into dating a married man named Dennis Kosowski, who after seeing her on duty, during his honeymoon with his wife Arlene, fell in love with her (Lifeguards Can't Jump), being caught in an attempt to blow up the city pier by thugs (Dead of Summer), involvement in a treasure hunt during her and Stephanie's girls only weekend in Catalina (Island of Romance) and a bizarre group of scientists looking for Extra-Terrestrials (Strangers Among Us).
C.J. modelling for a photoshoot (Kicks)
She was also chosen as a model to work for French photographer Alain Begeré. At first all went well with C.J. even falling in love with the photographer.
However one day Alain came along while she was on duty and began pressuring her into doing another shoot with him, even though she was meant to be concentrating on watching her water. A girl was drowning, so C.J. pushed him aside and ran to rescue her, but in the process got her face scratched.
Alain reprimanded C.J. for allowing this to happen and they got into an argument which made her realize that Alain's relationship with her was only professional and he didn't respect her work as a lifeguard. So she ended her relationship and modelling career with him, deciding that saving lives was her true fulfilment and being a lifeguard was who she truly was. Though she would still cherish the time they had spent together. Mitch later told C.J. that she had done the right thing (Kicks).
Season 4[]
C.J. enjoying herself at a Sea Life Park (Coronado Del Sol, Parts I and II)
Cort arrived back at Baywatch and C.J. hoped to rekindle their relationship, but she was concerned about him losing his eyesight. It turned out that he had Degenerative Eye Disease which would eventually make him blind and unable to continue his lifeguard duties. Unable to cope with this, Cort left Baywatch once again (Blindside).
C.J. found out that her friend Summer was suffering from a severe eating disorder and helped her to overcome it. She also befriended a magician and escape artist who she eventually had to save after he almost drowned during a dangerous stunt (Tower of Power).
During a vacation in San Diego, she befriended and then fell in love with a man named Keith at a sea life park, but to her disappointment found out he was already in a relationship with someone (Coronado Del Sol Parts I and II).
Season 5[]
Summer left Baywatch for college back east and Stephanie's younger sister Caroline moved into her and Stephanie's apartment after she left her husband. She and C.J. soon became good friends. She later with Hobie's help saved a homeless man who was trapped under the pier (Livin' on the Fault Line, Parts I and II).
Cort unexpectedly came back hoping once again to rekindle his relationship with her. But C.J. and Matt soon stated dating after Caroline kept on turning him down and they started having feelings for each other (Baja Run).
C.J. discussing her work with a church program (Silent Night, Baywatch Night, Parts I and II
During Christmas, C.J. helped out with a local church program for homeless children and became attracted to minister Father Sam Ryan whom she later thought was leaving the church because of her. But it was revealed that he was going on a retreat and leaving another minister in his place (Silent Night, Baywatch Night, Parts I and II).
C.J. finds Cort under her and Matt's lifeguard tower, homeless, almost completely blind and on the verge of giving up. C.J. sees it as her duty to help him, provoking Matt to jealousy, but she tells him she loves him not Cort and is only doing it because she always helps someone in need (Deep Trouble).
A new lifeguard named Neely Capshaw from Huntingdon came to work at Baywatch. C.J. kindly welcomed her, but she began to have her suspicions when Neely chose to work with Matt on her first day and began flirting with him, even though he told her that he loved C.J..
C.J. tricking Neely into confessing (Wet 'n' Wild)
Their relationship took a turn for the worst when Neely sued Matt on a bogus sexual harassment charge after he had found out she had been drinking on duty and reported it to Mitch.
As a result, Matt was suspended until further investigations could be made. However C.J. and Matt worked together to trick Neely into making a recorded confession as evidence which dropped the charges against Matt and fired Neely from Baywatch, making their relationship even stronger (Wet 'n' Wild).
Season 6[]
Matt left Baywatch sometime later, unable to cope with what had happened. C.J. was none too pleased when Neely was reinstated as she blamed her for Matt's departure and told Mitch that it was either her or Neely. She eventually left for a holiday in Europe and also travelled to France to spend time with Matt (Trapped Beneath The Sea, Part I).
After returning to Baywatch with a possible maybe of Matt returning, C.J. was still uncomfortable being around Neely and did her best to stay as far away from her as possible. However Neely teased her during a training exercise with some female Junior Lifeguards, resulting in Caroline telling her to back off. Later she went on a trip to Catalina with Stephanie, Caroline, and Neely (much to her displeasure) where they tried to teach those same Junior Lifeguards the values of teamwork. When two of them Erica and Taylor got trapped in an underwater cave, they all worked together to rescue them and even C.J. had to admit she admired Neely's willingness to participate (Leap of Faith).
C.J. helping Max the sealion (Hit and Run)
She saved an injured sea lion named Max who then kept following her around. She let him into Baywatch Headquarters which caused great trouble for Caroline and the other lifeguards as the creature was always causing big messes in places such as the first aid room so she took him home until the sea mammal rescue team found him and took him home to Shoreline Attractions (Hit and Run).
C.J. was surprised when Matt came back to Baywatch, though she wasn't sure whether to take him back after he abandoned her afraid that she would get hurt again. She and Matt agree to rekindle their relationship gradually one step at a time (Home Is Where The Heat Is).
C.J. helping out Hulk Hogan (Bash at the Beach)
She, Caroline, Neely and other lifeguards competed for a photo shoot for Inside Sports magazine, however they both contracted chicken pox and the job went to Neely, much to their distraught (Beauty and the Beast).
She even helped pro-wrestler Hulk Hogan to prevent the Venice Boys Youth center from being closed down (Bash at the Beach).
C.J. then tried to rekindle her relationship with Matt further by having a holiday in Hawaii for a week to oversee new lifeguard techniques. However it was cut short after she had to return home to headquarters and what happened afterwards is unknown which assumes that their relationship was ended for good because C.J. formed a new relationship with fellow lifeguard Cody Madison (Forbidden Paradise, Part I), (Go For The Gold).
Season 7[]
C.J. and Cody looking over Max's will (Liquid Assets)
While on patrol on the beach, C.J. helped and befriended a homeless man named Max who owned a cart that sold old Hollywood fashions. When he passed on, he left C.J. everything in his will as well as $1000 which she decided to donate to the homeless shelters (Liquid Assets).
Cody got evicted from his home so C.J. allowed him to temporarily stay with her and Caroline until he found a new place (Stephanie had gone away for a few months to spend time with her new boyfriend Tom).
Unfortunately, it did not go well, as the two women started annoying each other, and other problems arose when Cody accidentally left his green sweatshirt to mix in Caroline's whites and threw away the cheque to pay the electric bill.
Eventually, they overcame their problems when Cody said that if they could save lives together, they should be able to live together (Beach Blast).
C.J. helping out her mother (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner)
C.J.'s mother, Shelley Sands, came to visit to ask her daughter's help. Shelley had taken an incrimination of the illegal gambling and income tax evasion schemes of her mobster ex-boyfriend, Tony Malanto, and now he was after her to get it back. C.J. confronted Malanto along with her mum and told him to leave them both alone or the disk would be handed over to authorities before throwing a cold drink on his robe.
However, they got captured and C.J. was sent to retrieve the disk that Shelley had hidden in her locker during her visit in exchange for their lives. C.J. succeeded, but Malanto broke his deal and tried to drown them, but fortunately Mitch and Cody had followed C.J. and helped take out the mobster and his goons. Shelley left Los Angeles afterwards to seek a new life, but promised she would be back to visit her daughter again (Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner).
In the Ironman challenge, C.J. and some other female lifeguards took part in the competition to demonstrate women's rights for competing, but trouble ensued when her old Australian boyfriend Johno was there making her very uncomfortable on the effect it would have on Cody. Eventually the two men ended up in a fight which turned out to be a ruse to cure C.J.'s paranoia (Let the Games Begin).
After Mitch became ill from swimming in water polluted by a toxic chemical, C.J., Cody and Caroline found the source and helped develop an antidote that cured him (Heal the Bay).
C.J. at Stephanie's funeral (Chance of a Lifetime)
Stephanie returned and Tom proposed to her with C.J. as one of the guests at the wedding. But tragedy struck when Stephanie was killed during a rescue on her honeymoon. C.J. was at her funeral with the other lifeguards as Mitch delivered a eulogy on how much they all loved and would greatly miss Stephanie with C.J. remembering with tears in her eyes, the good times they had together (Chance of a Lifetime).
Cody saw a mermaid named Mellisande who mistook him for her previous lover. C.J. was the only one who believed him and they eventually found her but decided to keep her a secret from the world, knowing how much harm it would do, referring to what happened to the mermaid Madison in the movie Splash (Rendezvous).
After babysitting for a friend, C.J. wanted to be a mother also, but to her disappointment found out that Cody wasn't ready for that kind of commitment (Trial by Fire).
C.J. with Adran being found by Cody (Nevermore)
During a rescue, C.J. found an injured sea lion and took him to an animal recovery facility at Sea World in San Diego. While Mitch and the other lifeguards were tracking down the ones responsible, she bonded with him and called him "Leo". The sea lion made a full recovery and was eventually released. C.J. was sad to see him go, but knew he would now be happy as the the fishermen who hunted him were now imprisoned. She turned down a working position at Sea World as she saw being a lifeguard her opportunity to save lives both people and animals (Baywatch at Sea World).
Later, C.J. encountered a disfigured man named Adran who was sending her gifts and poems because she resembled his late sweetheart. When she injured her knee after a pier support beam fell on her, he rescued her and took her back to his domain. He told her his story of his disfigurement and she felt sorry for him and promised to help him anyway she could. Two thugs burst in and tried to capture him, but one of them fell in the sea and Adran rescued him. While Adran and that particular thug were recovering in hospital, the other one was arrested. Cody then proposed to C.J. regretting how much he had forgotten about her (Nevermore).
It is not shown what C.J.'s answer was, but later Cody revealed that she left Baywatch to run a bar in Mexico and married a rock star.
Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding[]
C.J. marrying Lorenzo
C.J.'s marriage to the rock star had failed so she then opened a place called C.J.'s Bar and Grill at a hotel resort called Turtle Bay in Hawaii and had former lifeguard Lani McKenzie as her entertainer. There she invited her friends from Los Angeles and other lifeguards from Baywatch.
Even though she swore she was off men for good, she eventually fell in love with one of the resort waiters named Lorenzo and married again with Mitch giving her away at the altar.
Baywatch (2017 film)[]
C.J. has a largely different personality in the feature film adaptation, in which she is made to be a blunt but down to earth person and a mutual romantic interest in new recruit Ronnie Greenbaum.
C.J. flirts and bonds with Ronnie throughout much of the film and she realizes that she has found true love. In the mission, she gives him a kiss to motivate him and by story's end, they begin a relationship.
Appearances[]
Episodes[]
Baywatch
Season 3
- River of No Return, Part I
- River of No Return, Part II
- Tequila Bay
- Rookie of the Year
- Showdown at Malibu Beach High
- Point Doom
- Princess of Tides
- Masquerade
- Lifeguards Can't Jump
- Dead of Summer
- Island of Romance
- Strangers Among Us
- Vacation, Part I
- Vacation, Part II
- Stakeout at Surfrider Beach
- Shattered, Part II
- Kicks
Season 4
- Race Against Time, Part I
- Race Against Time, Part II
- Lover's Cove
- Blindside
- Skyrider
- Tentacles, Part I
- Tentacles, Part II
- Submersion
- Ironman Buchannon
- Tower of Power
- Coronado Del Sol, Part I
- Coronado Del Sol, Part II
- Rescue Bay
- Western Exposure
- The Life You Save
Season 5
- Livin’ on the Fault Line, Part I
- Livin’ on the Fault Line, Part II
- Aftershock
- Baja Run
- Air Buchannon
- Short Sighted
- Someone to Baywatch Over You
- K-Gas, The Groove Yard Of Solid Gold
- Red Wind
- I Spike
- Silent Night, Baywatch Night, Part I
- Silent Night, Baywatch Night, Part II
- Rubber Ducky
- A Little Help From My Friends
- Deep Trouble
- Wet 'n' Wild
Season 6
- Trapped Beneath The Sea, Part I
- Leap of Faith
- Hit and Run
- Home Is Where The Heat Is
- Sweet Dreams
- Beauty and the Beast
- Desperate Encounter
- Baywatch Angels
- Bash at the Beach
- Freefall
- Lost And Found
- Forbidden Paradise, Part I
- Last Wave
- Go For The Gold
Season 7
Movies[]
Trivia[]
- C.J. was one of the most popular and longest serving characters in the series, appearing in 77 episodes.
- Pamela said this in a 2014 interview with Esquire: "I loved being active—running in the sand, working out, being in the ocean. A lot of the people that came on to the show before or after me weren't really comfortable in the ocean, and I grew up on an island, Vancouver Island, and I'd swam in a lot colder ocean than California, so I was like, 'This is easy! This is great! Are you sure you want to pay me for this?' I was Baywatch. I was that girl growing up. I was really, really lucky to get that job, and everything else has just kind of been... not as good." She also mentioned in another interview in 2018 that doing Baywatch was "The best job in the world."
- Pamela revealed that she never wore sunscreen during filming because she did not want the chemicals from the ultraviolet protective lotion going into the sea. She said: ”I never wore sunblock, I didn’t really believe in it. I always felt that it was chemicals going into your skin and particles that go into the ocean. People always tell me, ‘You have to wear sunblock all over your face,’ so I have a natural sunblock that I use sometimes, but I’m just gonna go with it and see what age does to me because I need to be in the sun. The first season, they didn’t want me to wear makeup, they wanted me to be very natural. I said OK, but then I would go to Lexi’s (makeup artist Alexis Vogel) at three in the morning and she would put eyelashes and liner on me and we just created that look, then I would show up, and they’d go, ‘You’re already wearing makeup!’ And I’d say, ‘No I’m not!’ But then I’d get hit by a wave and my eyelashes would fall off and my makeup artist there would come up and go, ‘This is all that’s left of Pamela, I hope you’re happy – two little soaking wet eyelashes.’ But most of the time it would stay on.”
- In the episode Nevermore, C.J. says to Cody; "Don't call me Babe!" which is a reference to the catchphrase used by Pamela's titular film character in Barb Wire.
- Many people have either imitated or tried to be like this character.
- The scene of C.J. and Cody sharing a passionate moment in the shower is one of the most memorial moments in the series.
- Before Pamela Anderson was discovered and cast, she had been a fitness instructor and had had dreams of becoming a female bodybuilder. This training was still visible when she played her role of C.J..
- The character also appeared in commercials for DirecTV satellite television company in 2007, ten years after Pamela left her role, then in 2012 she starred as herself in a commercial for Ford Cars and guest starred in a Baywatch-themed segment for Caldeirão do Huck (Huck's Cauldron).
- The character of C.J. Parker was supposed to be a female action girl. This role was later partly transferred to Neely Capshaw and Stephanie Holden. The decrease in physical scenes was partly due to Pamela's pregnancies of her two boys Brandon and Dylan between 1995-1997.
- Despite her young age of 22, C.J. was already a veteran lifeguard in season three. She was thought to be the most experienced female lifeguard.
- In addition to being a superb swimmer and diver, C.J.'s skills included playing saxophone, kayaking, various outdoor skills, athletics, hang gliding, scuba diving, running and kickboxing. Some of these were especially included to enhance her action-girl image.
- When Baywatch executive producer David Hasselhoff offered the role of lifeguard C. J. Parker to Pamela, she was immediately attracted to the role because of the "New Age thinking" that she shared with the character, including an interest in crystals, meditation, and dream interpretation. In the Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding reunion movie, C. J. reveals her biggest interest is in meditation.
- In 2021, filming began for a documentary series called Pam & Tommy which covered Pamela's life and relationship with her first husband Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee which included her stint on Baywatch. Actress and model Lily James portrayed Pamela and had extensive prosthetic work and a strong fitness regime to enable her to become a spitting image of the lead role, including wearing the iconic red swimsuit. Broadcasting began on February 2 and ended on March 9 of 2022.
| Baywatch Lifeguards |
|---|
 Mitch Buchannon • Al Gibson • Craig Pomeroy • Jill Riley • Eddie Kramer • Shauni McClain • Newmie Newman • Trevor Cole • John D. Cort • Jim Barnett • Don Thorpe • Ben Edwards • Devon Connor • Harvey Miller • Megan • Brooke • C.J. Parker • Stephanie Holden • Matt Brody • Summer Quinn • Caroline Holden • Kelly • Logan Fowler • Tracy Dodsworth • Katherine Fleming • Andy Jamison • Neely Capshaw • Cody Madison • Jenny • Crush • Sharon • Sandy • Donna Marco • Julie • Jordan Tate • Sam Thomas • Susan • Hobie Buchannon • Manny Gutierrez • Lani McKenzie • April Giminski • Sky Bergman • Kimm • Taylor Walsh • J.D. Darius • Sheryl Whalen • Bridget • Alex Ryker • Tina • Jessie Owens • Emily • Kristi • Leigh Dyer |